Disclaimer: The only character I own is Andrea Bennett! The others belong to the creator and writers of Dazed and Confused.
Author's Note: I originally posted this story on Wattpad, but decided to move it here! Let me know what you think!
"That's what you've been workin' so hard on lately?" With a roll of her deep blue eyes, Andy slid herself onto the wood-shop table behind Benny. Living in small town Texas had left Andrea Bennett without much of a choice in friends. High School football in Texas was almost bigger than the pros and growing up with a father who was a coach it was natural she grew close to all the players. Her childhood best friends were who the girls referred to as the "holy trinity." Benny O'Donnell, Randall "Pink" Floyd, and Don Dawson.
"Whatcha want, girl?" With a quick breath, Benny puffed away the sawdust from the paddle. He held up it to the light to inspect it. This was it, this was his year. He was going to get those little freshmen punks. "They ain't gonna be walkin' for days." He swatted her on the thigh with a proud grin.
"You're such an ass." Andy snickered. "C'mon, Red... Time for a smoke break." She reached into the back pocket of his jeans, pulling out the red pack of Marlboros. She glanced back at the old wood-shop teacher who was dozing at his desk. "Pink should be here soon." She greeted Ron Slater with a high five as she made her way towards the door.
Benny watched her with bright eyes, a genuine smile tugging on the edge of his lips. There was something about that girl that drove him wild. Benny O'Donnell met Andy Bennett when they six years old, but he fell in love with her when they were twelve. When she hit thirteen-year-old Fred O'Bannion in the face with a dodge ball and sent him crying into the boy's locker room. It surprised all of them sophomore year when she agreed to go to prom with O'Bannion, which led to him having to deal with the prick the entire rest of the summer. He shook himself out of his thoughts and gave the paddle one good swing. That was it alright. All it needed now was some pain and it would be ready to go.
The hallways were deserted on the last day of school with the exceptions of the few students rushing down the hallway towards their classrooms. Soon enough, the hallways would be trashed. Text books, old homework assignments, class notes. The wall to her left read 'REBELS '76' spray painted in large white letters. Graffiti left behind by the graduating class. Finally, it was almost her Andy's turn.
"You love those damn things." Andrea met Don in the hallway with a hug, laughing at his overalls. Don Dawson was an arrogant pain in Andy's ass, but she couldn't ask for a better friend. The two of them were kindred spirits, their souls were careless and free.
"You know me." Don shrugged his shoulders with a wide grin. "You seen Benny?" The two of them were inseparable, Benny was rarely more than two steps behind her. There wasn't a doubt in Don's mind that Benny would follow her anywhere. The two of them together wreaked havoc on their old town.
"He's in the shop. Workin' on that damn paddle. You boys are too much." She nudged him in the ribs with her elbow.
"Don't act like you're not gonna fuck with the freshman." Don teased, throwing her over his shoulder.
"I don't know!" Andy squeaked as he started spinning in circles.
"Bennett! Dawson!" Coach Conard bellowed down the long hallway. "What the hell do you two think you're doin'? Get to class, Bennett." He clapped Don on the shoulder, pulling him aside to speak with him out of Andy's earshot.
Andy made a face behind Coach Conard's back which caused Don to shake his head. She slid into the girl's bathroom unnoticed and made sure to lock the door behind her. She hopped up onto the counter, savoring the first drag of her cigarette. Senior year. Finally. Her last year in this shitty backwards town. As soon as she received her diploma, she'd be on her way to California. Away from Texas. Away from this school. Away from everything she didn't believe in. Sometimes she wondered if she could leave the guys. Maybe she could convince them to go with her. Pink was already down, but Benny and Don would need some convincing. She had plenty of time to work on that.
She flicked the butt of cigarette into the toilet and held down the lever with the toe of her boot. She peeked out the bathroom door before heading down the hallway to Miss Wilk's classroom to find Pink. The two of them had big plans for the rest of their lives, none of which involved Texas.
"There you are." Jodi grabbed her by the hand, pulling her into the classroom. "I thought maybe you got lost."
"Just been sittin' in the wood shop with Benny." She took a seat next to Pink. "Nice to see your smiling face this afternoon, Floyd."
"Shove it, Andy." Pink flipped her the bird before speaking again. "You comin' with me, Don, and Benny?"
"So you can go threaten the fresh meat? Hell yeah." She gave him a high five. "So I heard O'Bannion flunked." She sneered.
"Are you fucking kidding me? What a dick, man." Pink howled with laughter, shaking his dark curls out of his eyes. "What'd you ever see in him in anyway, toots?"
"She was drawn in by his charm, of course." Jodi laughed to her left, earning a middle finger from Andy.
"He had a car." She shrugged her shoulders. Looking back at her relationship with Fred, that was the only thing that made sense. Having an older boyfriend made it easier for her and trinity to sneak around town. She had someone to buy them beer and not to mention some great sex. "And he's good in bed."
"Hey, I'm still here! I don't need to know about his dick." Pink shook his head with a grin. "Slut." He teased.
"Whore." Andy smacked him in the ass with a newspaper when she heard Don trying to whisper. He never understood how to use his inside voice. "Hey! Check me out with you guys!" She exclaimed from her seat.
"I gotcha, sweet cheeks." Don winked at Andy and blew a kiss to Shavonne. He spoke quietly to Pink, placing something in his hands.
"Ew! Take shit somewhere else." Andy whined as Pink returned to the table with a piece of paper in his hands. "What's that?"
Pink tossed it down on the table with a sigh. "Just read it." He groused.
"I voluntarily agree to not indulge in any alcohol, drugs, or any other illegal activity that may in any way jeopardize the years of hard work we as a team have committed to our goal of a championship season in '76." Andy scoffed. "What the fuck?"
"What bullshit." He mumbled, rolling his eyes.
"You mean Benny and the others are actually signing this?" Andy frowned. Of course Benny, Don, and Melvin would sign it. Anything to get the coach off their back, but Pink was different. He had to believe in what he was doing.
Pink glanced in her direction with an expression that told her everything she needed to know.
"What are they gonna do next?!" Cynthia huffed. "Give you guys urine tests?"
"I didn't know drugs and alcohol were such a big problem they had to resort to Neo-McCarthyism." Mike read over the paper once more for himself.
"Benny didn't mention it earlier. Neither did Dad." Andy frowned, folding up the slip and placing it in the pocket of Pink's shirt.
"I think they're afraid some of us might be having too good a time." Pink sighed, running a hand through his dark locks.
Just as the other girls left for the bathroom, Don appeared outside the classroom with an excited grin. "Hey, Pink! Andy! Let's go!"
"We're off to raise some hell! Look at that!" Benny held the paddle in his hands with a proud sneer. He threw an arm around Andy's shoulder.
"Hey you guys! Wait up!" Jodi called from behind them. "Benny, I have a favor to ask ya."
"What do you need?" Benny turned to face her, his arm still locked around Andy.
"Take it easy on my brother this summer, okay? All of you." She pointed a finger directly at the boys.
"Mitch Kramer?" Benny questioned.
"Yeah, Mitch Kramer!" Jodi shoved him by the shoulder.
"Yeah, yeah. I'm gonna give him a beating he'll never forget!" Benny shouted with a grin,
"Just don't get him more than you get any of the other guys, any of you." Jodi warned. "He's kinda little."
"You got our word, sis." Pink laughed inaudibly. "Little brother'll be okay."
"Thanks, guys." Jodi turned to Andy. "Still riding with me this afternoon?"
Honestly, Andy wanted no part in the freshman initiations, but it was a rite of passage. "Yeah, I'll be there. I'll probably just watch." She nodded with a small smile.
"Cool, see you guys!" Jodi turned to walk away as Benny smacked her clear across the backside with the paddle. "Ow! Benny!"
Anger swirled like a tornado within her, her hands curling into fists at her sides. The laughing died once they saw her expression change. She pushed herself out from under Benny's arm. "Let's just go." She walked ahead of them out to Benny's black Chevrolet Cheyenne. He took better care of that truck than he ever did any of his girlfriends. She always told him that's why they always left. Her fingers brushed across the sleek black paint. She didn't know who would cry more if he ever got rid of the damn thing, him... Or her. She loved it just as much as he did. To her, it was long drunk nights out at the Moon Tower just watching the sun come up over the small town. To him, it was a sanctuary that kept him safe from his father's wrath. The two of the them had more memories in the cab of that truck than anywhere else in town.
"There was just a little bit of bullshit in all that, right?" She overheard Don laugh from afar.
"Major bullshit!" Benny exclaimed, his voice booming down the corridor. "He's a dead man! Fuckin' dead!"
"Shotgun!" Don and Pink shouted at the same time.
"I don't think so. Don, get in the back. Andy's ridin' up front." Benny smacked Don across the back of the head. He noticed the way Andy's entire demeanor changed after the incident with Jodi.
"Yeah, bitch... Tryin' to steal my seat?" Andy hopped up into the middle between Pink and Benny. "You can't just go messin' up the natural order of things, Dawson." The tension between her and Benny was enough to make anyone uncomfortable.
Pink cleared his throat. "I'll, uhhh... Ride in the back." He slid down out the truck seat, shutting the door beside him.
"You trust those two to ride in the back with no supervision?" Andy laughed.
"No." Benny lifted an eyebrow curiously. "So what the hell was that, doll?"
"What was what?" Andy crossed her arms over her chest. How could she admit to Benny she was jealous? She could hardly admit it to herself.
"Don't play stupid with me." Benny rolled to a stop at a red light. "Back there with Jodi?"
"She's just too much of a flirt sometimes." Andy shrugged.
"Comin' from you? You're queen of them all, darlin'." Benny paused mid-flirt to catch the glimmer of her cerulean eyes in the sunlight.
Her heart sped up, and heat climbed to her cheeks then her ears. "It's green, Ben... I think you've got me and Darla mixed up." She was never one for being timid, but she grew quiet. She reached forward, turning up the volume on the radio until the only thing she could hear was Foghat. Benny was mystery but he never seemed to change. He kept himself closed off from much of the world, but Andy could see to his depths just like the clearest water. His soul had a fire that danced with hers, but he was anchored to this town. To his mother and sisters. To the only thing he'd ever known. A pang of guilt rose in her chest at the thought of leaving him.
She distracted herself by watching the trees fly by. As kids, the two of them used to measure the distance between their houses by trees. To be exact, there were seventeen. Seventeen trees separated their homes. They left a mark on each one somehow, but they faded over time. The only one left was a tattered ribbon tied high up in the old oak tree outside her chain link fence.
Benny huffed and puffed to himself, still barely able to keep his eyes off her. The two of them had many memories riding around his old truck on Friday nights and even sometimes on school nights when she would sneak out her window. Her smile was contagious, just like her laugh. Everything about her drove him crazy. He loved the way her silky blonde curls blew in the wind and the way her eyes lit up when her favorite songs came on the radio. When she stood, her head barely reached his shoulder. He used to tease her by holding her books over her head just so he could see her brows furrow in anger. What he truly loved the most was her mind. She was smarter than he would ever be. The way her fire burned when she ranted for hours on end about something she was passionate about. He snapped to attention when he heard her calling his name over the radio.
"Earth to Benny!" Andy rolled her eyes, reaching up to turn the music down. "So what's the plan tonight?"
"Gonna pick up a couple sixers and head to Pickford's party?" Benny pulled to a stop out front of the middle school.
"Cool." Andy hopped out of the black truck with a grin. Her breath hitched as his lips curved into a smile.
"Cool." He responded, lifting her up into the bed of truck.
The four of them laughed the entire way back from the junior high, making jokes about the newest crop of wimps. Those poor boys were going to have a long, painful summer. Andy was grateful the worst that happened to her was getting an egg cracked over her back and being forced to propose to Jimmy Adams. Over the years she couldn't wait to show the girls what they were in for but the closer the time came, the more disgusted with the ritual she became.
"Melvin!" She shouted out the passenger window with a smile. "Hop on, man!"
"I can't say no to a pretty lady, can I?" He winked before hopping up next to Don.
Standing outside the doors to school was Andrea's father, Coach Bennett, talking to Coach Conardand assistant Coach Davis. "Son of a bitch." Benny grumbled under his breath. He pulled into the parking spot right next to Pink's car.
"Ah, shit." Pink sighed as he clambered down out of the back of the truck.
"Hey, Dad." Andrea beamed, wrapping her arms her father. As a child, she was instilled with a deep love for the game of football. She was always eager to learns plays and spent her quality time with her father during the practices, but as she got older she grew away from it.
"Hey, kiddo." He pressed a kiss to her temple. "What you doin' with these punks?"
"Hey, coach." Don said with a respectful nod.
"So, tell me... Any of you girls gonna be ready to play some football this fall?" Coach Bennett sniggered.
"Oh, yeah." Melvin spoke up first, chuckling.
"I don't know, Coach. I've been doin' so good in English classes, I figure I'd take next fall off and become a writer. What do you think about that?" Benny placed his hands on his hips with a with a cocky grin causing everyone around him to laugh.
"Boy, you wouldn't be able to spell your name if it wasn't stenciled on your locker!" The coach retorted with a jab to Benny's shoulder. "No, seriously, everybody. Don't go getting' soft on me this summer. That includes you, Andy. Don't go getting soft me, ya got it?"
"Yeah, yeah. I'm tougher than you are." Andy scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest.
"I bet she could kick your ass, O'Donnell. Ya know, you're sitting' around the pool all day, chasin' the muff around... Break down!" He shouted. "That means you too, Andy!" All the boys instinctively dropped except for Pink who just rolled his eyes. "Hell, my grandmother's quicker and tougher than you pansies! Course she's 6'3", 250, and runs a 4.5 40."
Out of the corner of her eyes, Andy caught Pink mouthing the words as if he'd the story a thousand times. Her father was the last person he needed to be giving attitude.
"Hey, what's the matter with you, Floyd? Quarterbacks don't have to do what their coaches say? Is that it?" Her father quipped, hands on his hips. "Dawson, did you give them the pledge sheet?"
"Huh?" Don asked, obviously lost.
"The pledge sheet! Did you give it to him?"
"Yeah, Caoch." Pink pulled the folded-up piece of paper from his shirt pocket. "It's right here."
"Well, Randy, if you could get that back to us by the end of the day we'd feel a lot better about it." Coach's voice dripped with sarcasm. "You guys see that he does this, okay? Keep an eye on him, Bennet
Benny gave Coach Bennett a sincere pat on the chest. "I got it, Coach." Knowing Pink, he knew he wasn't going to be easily persuaded. Getting Pink to sign that paper before the end of the day was impossible.
"Bye, Dad!" Andy piped up, trying to stop the growing tension between Pink and her father.
"Randy Floyd!" Coach Conard yelled across the sidewalk, pointing his finger in Pink's direction. "Before next fall you're in need of a serious attitude adjustment, young man! You better get your priorities straight. And watch that other crowd you're runnin' with. Don't think I haven't noticed."
"Hey, c'mon." Andy gingerly took Pink by the arm. "Just ignore him."
"Hey!" He shouted as Andy started to lead the group away. "I want that piece of my desk before you leave here today, do you hear me?!"
As they headed back inside, she heard Coach Conard asking her father why he never kept a closer eye on me. She sighed to herself as the boys mumbled about the head coach's words. She watched closely as Pink crumbled up the pledge sheet and chucked it over into the grass. She groaned as tires came squealing into the parking lot.
"You boys hear O'Bannion flunked?" Don chuckled.
"Yeah, man. What a dumb shit." Pink and the others laughed out loud.
"Look! It's your best friend!" Don jested, turning Andy to face O'Bannion.
"You're such a dick." O'Bannion was the one person she thought she'd never have to see again, but the idiot flunked. Everyone claimed it was so he could bust the freshman just one more time, but the truth was the idiot missed a credit in English class. At least that's what her father told her. Part of knew he flunked just to torment her another year like their breakup was enough. His bright white smile and smooth voice used to make her heart flutter but now she just wanted to bash his teeth in. Andrea felt Benny bristle next to her as he stepped out of the car. She placed a gentle hand on his forearm. The one thing she would never understand was how Benny couldn't stand the guy, but still hung out with him. Guys think we're complicated, she thought to herself.
"You boys ready to bust some ass?!" O'Bannion was practically jumping with excitement. The big idiot lived for getting to push people around. People always said bullies had hard life at home and in his case, it was true. Andy witnessed his father smacking him around multiple times. "What up, Don? Benny! Melvin! How ya been?" He let out a low whistle when he saw Andy. "Looks like we get to spend another year together."
Andy didn't even dignify him with a response, turning to hug Melvin and kiss Benny on the cheek. "I'll see you guys later. Gotta make one last appearance. Ready, Pink?" The only person who knew the secret behind their background was Pink. He was the one who had picked her up sobbing from the local gas station with a split lip and a bloody nose. She could barely find the nerve to call Pink, knowing better than to call Benny or her father. She wasn't afraid of him, she truly felt sorry for him. All she hoped was that he grew up, which wasn't likely.